#Colleague

A colleague is a member of the ecosystem that observes others’ work while emphasizing only their own achievements. They vanish at decisive moments in meetings, never volunteer for tedious tasks, and miraculously reappear just before deadlines. Their mere presence creates the illusion that your own workload is lighter. Yet if they were gone, you’d be bombarded with the very emails and calls you thought you’d dodged. Truly, a partner to be handled with caution.

A work spouse is a colleague appointed to indulge your complaints and share your triumphs at the office as if they were your real spouse. They offer the unachievable "meeting-room solidarity" and "break-room empathy" not found in actual married life. Logically, they are just coworkers, yet emotionally, they are secret society allies. Sometimes unpaid counselors, sometimes ghostwriters for your notes, they stand by you through the hectic battles of corporate life.